Ignite your marketing, engage your customers, drive your sales

and transform your business!

**UPDATE** EAST CAMBS BUSINESS BOOST IS NOW SOLD OUT. FOLLOW THE BOOKING BUTTONS BELOW TO ADD YOUR NAME TO THE WAITING LIST – THANK YOU

Emerald Frog Marketing is proud to work with the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership, Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, East Cambridgeshire District Council, the Federation of Small Businesses and Forces Recruitment to organise the first East Cambs Business Boost event at The Maltings, Ely, on Friday November 10th 2017 from 9am to 2pm.

East Cambridgeshire is one of the fastest growing regional economies outside London, attracting investment and a diverse portfolio of industries and business opportunities. The East Cambs Business Boost 2017 is a new event, bringing together over 150 local SMEs to accelerate business growth across the area through networking, business support clinics and keynote speaker sessions.

We are delighted that global giants, Google and Microsoft, will be keynote speakers at the East Cambs Business Boost 2017 delivering engaging and insightful masterclasses for the benefit of East Cambridgeshire’s SMEs.

Who should attend?

East Cambs Business Boost 2017 is for SMEs who want to break into new customer markets through effective marketing, using digital technology and enhancing sales skills.

This ticket-only event is FREE to attend and open to business owners from small and medium-sized businesses across the East Cambridgeshire and the surrounding area who want to take their business to the next level.

Advice clinics (“The Launch Zone”)

If you have a great business idea and need help to get started or require guidance on funding, training and business support to help grow your business, then Signpost2Grow (the LEP’s free business signposting service) and Cambridgeshire ACRE will be holding advice clinics at the East Cambs Business Boost event. The clinics will give you the support, training and funding advice you need to be another East Cambs business success story.

Other business support clinics at East Cambs Business Boost 2017:

If you run a business operating within the Agri-Tech sector (food, drink and horticulture) employing less than 250 people, growth could be easier with the Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative programme. Grants are available to organisations looking to invest in specialist equipment, new market and supply chain development, ways to improve productivity and efficiency, and the application and commercialisation of Research and Development.

The Eastern Agri-Tech Growth Initiative (run by the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership) has two funds: a Growth Fund for grants of between £10,000 and £150,000 (which can cover up to 25% of the total project cost) to support improvements in productivity and efficiency in the food, drink and horticulture sector and the R&D Fund which provides grants of between £10,000 and £60,000 (which can cover up to 50% of the total project cost) to support the development of innovative ideas, products and technology.

Conatus Financing Solutions brings 25 years’ corporate finance experience to bring funding certainty to growth stage and turnaround businesses across the Eastern Region, with solutions ranging from traditional funding, through alternative and challenger finance, to private equity and crowdfunding through their sister business CrowdFundMe2. Their team offer practical hands-on support and advice including financial modelling and projections, business valuation, business plans, pitch decks and of course, funding.

Red Shoes Accounting will be on hand to give advice to start-ups and small businesses on a range of tax and business set-up advice including how to set up your business, registering with HMRC, paying VAT, taking on employees, sole trader v limited company decisions and cloud bookkeeping. Red Shoes Accounting has many clients in the local community and service businesses, small and large, across many sectors including restaurants, construction, plumbing and electrical, equine, pharmaceutical, marketing, property sectors, civil engineering, manufacturing, retailers, professional academics and many more.

KEEP+ is a £9.3m European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supported programme, providing grants for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to access specialist knowledge and expertise, through collaboration with universities and research institutions. KEEP+ is open to SMEs looking to develop innovative new products and services.

Networking

The event is from 9am until 2pm but there is also an opportunity to join us for breakfast and networking beforehand. Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce will be holding a speed networking breakfast event from 7:30am to 8:45am.

Exhibition

Exhibitors representing small and medium-sized businesses from across the East Cambridgeshire and surrounding area will be on hand for networking opportunities, alongside business support agencies and employment training providers. If you would like to book your place as an exhibitor at this exclusive event, 2m x 1m stands are available for £50+VAT. (Update: Exhibitor space is now SOLD OUT) See Exhibitor List

How to book

Click on the icons below to book your place as either a visitor or an exhibitor: **UPDATE** NOW SOLD OUT, CLICK ON THE ICONS TO ADD YOUR NAME TO THE RELEVANT WAITING LIST

The Speakers

We are proud to welcome Microsoft to the East Cambs Business Boost 2017 with speaker James Marshall delivering a masterclass:

“Supercharging your SMB with cloud technology”

It’s now a level playing field. Digital transformation means there’s no such thing as a ‘small business’ any more. A firm believer that IT should not get in the way of productivity but that it should instead enhance it, James’ goal is to enable people to realise Microsoft’s mission: to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more.

James Marshall is the CTO for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses at Microsoft in the UK, an unashamed geek and frequent speaker at industry events. James has been on the front line, managing IT in the public sector but since 2010 has been partnering with customers large and small on digital transformation, particularly with Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Azure.

11:15am to 11:45am – Sandler Training (Ermine Amies)

“Selling for non-selling professionals”

Not everyone who sells is an out and out sales person. For many people sales is only one of the hats they wear – and it may not be their favourite part or the most comfortable part but they have to do it and get results.

In this session we will look at some of the Attitude, Behaviour and Techniques that can make us more comfortable, effective and efficient at selling:

Without compromising your values

By having more honest conversations

In a way that positions you as a Trusted Advisor

Ermine Amies works with Caroline Robinson at Sandler Training. Coach, Trainer, Consultant and Business Speaker, she challenges and supports successful MDs & CEOs and senior partners who are fed up with unreliable sales forecasts and want predictable consistent reliable results every month. Ermine is the IOD Norfolk Digital Ambassador and integrates social selling in her work with clients.

12:15pm – 1pm – Google (Abbey Oladapo)

East Cambs Business Boost 2017 is very excited to be partnering up with The Digital Garage from Google; a digital skills training platform to assist you in growing your business, career and confidence, online. Furthermore, Google digital expert, Abbey Oladapo, is coming to teach you what is needed to gain a competitive advantage in the ever-changing digital landscape, so come prepared to learn and ask questions too.

“Learn how to build a plan to engage an audience or find new customers online through social media strategy and best practise”

With over 7 years in the digital sphere, Abbey has empowered hundreds of SMEs to improve their presence online and grow through digital skills training. Prior to his current role, Abbey championed Google products and services as the London market manager where he worked with technology partners including HP, Sony, Acer & Asus. During that period, he was also involved with the launch of the first Google stores globally. Abbey studied International Business Economics at The University of the West of England and currently lives in London.

1pm – Closing Speech – (James Palmer, Mayor)

Opening and Closing Key Note speakers

Lucy Frazer MP (South East Cambridgeshire)

Lucy was first elected to be the Member of Parliament for South East Cambridgeshire in May 2015. She is currently Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, David Lidington MP. She has previously served on the Education Select Committee and as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Paymaster General and Minister to the Cabinet Office.

Prior to becoming an MP, Lucy practised as a barrister and was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2013.

Mayor James Palmer

James is the first mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, elected in May 2017.

His distinguished career includes a decade in politics, holding the position of leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council since 2013, working as a district councillor for Soham North ward and a county councillor for the Soham and Fordham Villages division.

A father-of-two, who has lived in Cambridgeshire all his life, he boasts a background in farming and ran a dairy and agricultural business before moving into local government.

He will now be instrumental in building a bright future for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, supporting its growth and development and working as part of its thriving community with new, forward-thinking and innovative solutions.

When and where is the East Cambs Business Boost 2017?

The event is Friday 10th November 2017 from 9am to 2pm at The Maltings, Ship Lane, Ely, CB7 4BB